What is your Orthopaedic subspecialty and why did you go into that subspecialty?
Sports Medicine is my subspecialty. When I was growing up, fortunately, the only doctors I needed to see were orthopaedists for sports-related injuries. Unfortunately, I saw many of them. For me, I saw early on the impact they had because their work allowed me to continue to play the sports that I loved. I was really fascinated by that wanted to be able to do the same thing for other people one day.
It’s funny because I ended up being about work with one of them here – Dr. Peter Jokl – who helped me get back to the field several times.
What is the best part about your clinical practice?
For me, it’s treating athletes, whether that’s surgically or non-surgically. It’s working with them, their families, physical therapists and athletic trainers. It’s about being part of a team to get them back on the field playing the sports that they love.
In sports, there is the physical element of being on the field and working hard to improve and be excellent. But there is also a teamwork aspect, which is particularly important for younger athletes. Being out there on the field allows them to learn life lessons, and so we know when we’re putting our energy into getting them physically back to playing, we’re giving them that opportunity as well. Our work becomes an investment into a different kind of education that only sports can provide, and will be invaluable for the rest of their lives.
What makes Yale a unique place for patients to come get treatment?
We’re not just fixing or replacing joint structures anymore - we’re making them better and allowing them to heal, which isn’t something we had been able to do previously. I think that’s very useful for athletes, because now they can train harder and faster knowing that there is a new approach to treatment if necessary. It’s really an exciting advancement.
Elizabeth Gardner, MD
In sports medicine, what’s unique is our opportunity to leverage the academic resources around us. We are here with access to researchers and practitioners who are truly on the cutting-edge of science because we’re a part of a world-class research institution. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is figuring out how to integrate all of this new research and science to benefit my patients.
One example is what we’re doing with biologics treatments, whether it’s by using platelet-rich plasma or amniotic stem cells to help to accelerate their healing process or using this to change the biology of what is going on in their ligaments and tendons. We’re not just fixing or replacing joint structures anymore - we’re making them better and allowing them to heal, which isn’t something we had been able to do previously. I think that’s very useful for athletes, because now they can train harder and faster knowing that there is a new approach to treatment if necessary. It’s really an exciting advancement.
What’s advice you give to medical students or residents?
You really need to find a field that you love because when it comes to medicine, it’s not just your job, it’s a part of your life. In sports medicine, that means nights and weekends on the sidelines at practice, and at games, not just time at your clinical practice during normal working hours. There are sacrifices you need to make to do sports medicine really well, but in my opinion, there is truly nothing better.
Tell me something you enjoy doing when you’re not in the clinics or surgery.
A lot of my “free time” is spent on the sidelines of games or working with the other members of the sports medicine team, collaborating to figure out how we can give our athletes the very best treatment and injury prevention options possible. Otherwise, I enjoy gardening, traveling, and not surprisingly, working out and playing sports.